Murter
Encyclopedia
Murter is name of the island in the Croatia
n part of the Adriatic sea
, located in central Dalmatia
at 43.80°N 15.62°E, as well as that of a small village on the north-western part of the island.
The small town of Betina
is located on the northwestern side of the island, while Jezera and Tisno are located on the southeastern coast. The island's current population is about 5,192 inhabitants, whilst that of the village is 2,010. Absolute majority are Croats
with 97.59%.
archipelago, separated from the mainland by a 20 meter wide sea canal at Tisno which is spanned by a 37 meter draw-bridge. The island covers an area of about 18.7 km², and the highest point is the peak of Raduč at 125 meters above sea level.
Village Murter spreads towards the Hramina Cove, where a marina has been built, and to the Slanica cove, which features the most beautiful beach of the Sibenik Riviera, as well as the camp Slanica and hotel "Colentum". Hramina cove is protected from all winds and makes for a safe shelter for yachts.
The old part of the Murter, called "Selo" (the Village), is located near the hill Raduc and closer to the island's interior. Due to Murter residents' growing concentration on the sea, the newer part of Murter was built on the coast of a large bay called Hramina. Position of Murter
The southwestern coastline is predominantly steep slopes divided by many sandy cove
s. The island has lots of rocky beaches, as well as several sandy ones.
-Roman
settlement known as Colentum has been found near Betina. In 1293, documents show that Murter was called "Villa Magna' meaning big village. During the 13th century there were two documented settlements on the island -- Jezera and Veliko selo, Srimač (now Murter) -- and the island itself was mentioned in the year 1318 as Insula Mortari. Betina and Tisno were most likely built around the beginning of the 15th century, during the time of Ottoman
attacks in the area. The population of the island increased as refugees fled from the Turks.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n part of the Adriatic sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
, located in central Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
at 43.80°N 15.62°E, as well as that of a small village on the north-western part of the island.
The small town of Betina
Betina
Betina is a village located on the Croatian island of Murter, seven km from Tisno, where a drawbridge connects the island and the mainland. The largest of the Šibenik archipelago islands, and the closest to the mainland, it has been populated since the time of the Illyrians...
is located on the northwestern side of the island, while Jezera and Tisno are located on the southeastern coast. The island's current population is about 5,192 inhabitants, whilst that of the village is 2,010. Absolute majority are Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
with 97.59%.
Geography
The island is in the northwest part of the ŠibenikŠibenik
Šibenik is a historic town in Croatia, with population of 51,553 . It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea...
archipelago, separated from the mainland by a 20 meter wide sea canal at Tisno which is spanned by a 37 meter draw-bridge. The island covers an area of about 18.7 km², and the highest point is the peak of Raduč at 125 meters above sea level.
Village Murter spreads towards the Hramina Cove, where a marina has been built, and to the Slanica cove, which features the most beautiful beach of the Sibenik Riviera, as well as the camp Slanica and hotel "Colentum". Hramina cove is protected from all winds and makes for a safe shelter for yachts.
The old part of the Murter, called "Selo" (the Village), is located near the hill Raduc and closer to the island's interior. Due to Murter residents' growing concentration on the sea, the newer part of Murter was built on the coast of a large bay called Hramina. Position of Murter
The southwestern coastline is predominantly steep slopes divided by many sandy cove
Cove
A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. They usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often inside a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are often considered coves...
s. The island has lots of rocky beaches, as well as several sandy ones.
History
The island has been populated for nearly two millennia. An IllyricIllyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the Illyrians....
-Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
settlement known as Colentum has been found near Betina. In 1293, documents show that Murter was called "Villa Magna' meaning big village. During the 13th century there were two documented settlements on the island -- Jezera and Veliko selo, Srimač (now Murter) -- and the island itself was mentioned in the year 1318 as Insula Mortari. Betina and Tisno were most likely built around the beginning of the 15th century, during the time of Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
attacks in the area. The population of the island increased as refugees fled from the Turks.
Heritage
- Many ChristianChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
texts written in Glagolitic/Slavonic instead of the traditional LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
style have been found and are preserved here and in the VaticanVatican CityVatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
.
- St.Michael's church, St.Rock's chapel, and the church of Our Lady of Gradina are the oldest churches on the island.
- The population of Murter traditionally deal with agriculture and fishing and are well known for these skills, as well as being producers of excellent olive oil.
- Beaches, quality accommodation and various services make Murter an ideal tourist destination, and has been one of the most visited destinations in this region for years.
- What is mostly unknown is that the island had a military base built in World War Two on top of the hill, with tunnels bored deep inside it. Some locals believe the place is haunted.
See also
- ŠibenikŠibenikŠibenik is a historic town in Croatia, with population of 51,553 . It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea...
- PrvićPrvicPrvić is a small island in the Croatian part of Adriatic Sea. It is situated in the Šibenik archipelago, about half a mile from the mainland, in the vicinity of Vodice...
- Adriatic Boat ShowAdriatic Boat ShowAdriatic Boat Show is an international nautical show of new and used vessels that annually takes place in the city of Šibenik, Croatia. It is the official boat show of Croatian Boatbuilding Cluster but it also includes a large number of foreign manufacturers as well...
- ZlarinZlarinZlarin is a small island of the Dalmatian coast of Croatia near the city of Šibenik. Administratively, it is part of the Šibenik-Knin County. In winter times the island has a population of 276 people, but from March to October its population grows substantially up to 1,500 people. Zlarin has a...
- ŽirjeŽirjeŽirje can refer to:* Žirje, Croatia, an island and settlement in the Adriatic Sea in Croatia* Žirje, Slovenia, a village in the Sežana municipality in Slovenia...
- DalmatiaDalmatiaDalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
- CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...